DISSERTATION RESEARCH: The Ecomorphology of Arboreal Squirrels and the Evolution of Gliding Locomotion

论文研究：树栖松鼠的生态形态和滑翔运动的进化

• 批准号: 0076342
• 负责人: Stephen Reilly
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: Ohio University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2000
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2000-06-15 至 2002-05-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0076342&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: DISSERTATION; RESEARCH; Ecomorphology; Arboreal; Squirrels

Researchers examining evolutionary divergence in locomotion characteristically rely upon a model of initial behavioral modification followed by secondary morphological change. Yet, studies of gliding performance in frogs suggest that concomitant changes in morphology and behavior may be required, making the behavioral precedence model untenable. Arboreal squirrels provide a perfect system to test the model since a transition from leaping to gliding likely occurred in this group. The objective of the proposed study is to determine whether the sequence of evolutionary changes from leaping to gliding is consistent with the behavioral precedence model. The study examines variation in three arboreal squirrels (flying squirrel, tree squirrel, chipmunk) and a close arboreal relative (dormouse) at the following levels: 1) Morphology; 2) Biomechanics; 3) Locomotor behavior; and 4) Ecology. The synthesis phase employs multivariate statistics to summarize variation in these levels and to identify significant trait differences among species. Traits are subsequently mapped onto the phylogeny to test behavioral precedence. In addition to testing the model, the study provides the first comparative examination of mammalian arboreal leaping outside of primates, and the only detailed description of mammalian gliding. Biomechanical descriptions of leaping and gliding locomotion may have important implications for those intending to use animals as model systems in engineering design.

研究人员研究运动的进化分歧的特征依赖于一个模型，最初的行为修改，其次是二次形态变化。 然而，对青蛙滑翔性能的研究表明，可能需要形态和行为的伴随变化，使得行为优先模型站不住脚。 树栖松鼠提供了一个完美的系统来测试这个模型，因为从跳跃到滑翔的转变可能发生在这个群体中。 这项研究的目的是确定从跳跃到滑翔的进化变化序列是否符合行为优先模型。 该研究在以下水平上考察了三种树栖松鼠（飞鼠，树松鼠，花栗鼠）和一种近亲树栖松鼠（睡鼠）的变化：1）形态学; 2）生物力学; 3）运动行为; 4）生态学。 综合阶段采用多元统计来总结这些水平的变化，并确定物种之间的显着性状差异。 随后，将性状映射到行为发生学上，以测试行为优先性。 除了测试模型外，这项研究还首次对灵长类动物以外的哺乳动物在树上跳跃进行了比较研究，也是对哺乳动物滑翔的唯一详细描述。 跳跃和滑翔运动的生物力学描述可能对那些打算在工程设计中使用动物作为模型系统的人具有重要意义。